Should Michael Vick’s Bad Newz Kennels Be Turned into a Rehab Center?

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By now you’ve probably all heard of Bad Newz Kennels, home of Michael Vick’s dogfighting house of horrors in Surry County, Va.

Most of us won’t soon forget the suffering, trauma and executions of the dogs who lived and died there. But now there’s a chance to turn a place of tragedy into a safe haven for abused, neglected and chained dogs who are on their path to their new forever homes.

Dog’s Deserve Better (DDB), an organization devoted to advocating for chained and penned dogs, is considering purchasing Vick’s property and transforming it into a Good Newz Rehab Center.

“By DDB purchasing this property, we desire to bring light to the darkness. We feel there is no greater love for the dogs who suffered here, no greater honor to their memory, and no greater closure to a painful world event, than for a group to come in and take over this property with plans to provide love, joy, training, play, care, and renewal to thousands of other dogs who have been existing in similar circumstances,” according to DDB.

They also plan to preserve the kennel as a memorial to chained, penned and fighting dogs who have lost their lives without ever knowing what a home was.

The property is a nice piece of real estate. It was sold to an investor and is now sitting empty. With 15 acres full of grass and trees, a mostly fenced in yard, buildings to house supplies and a house that can be used for meetings, a store, fundraising, educational center, training and a host of other activities. Check it out yourself here.

You might be thinking, “No way, that place is too full of bad energy to be turned into something positive.”

The property itself isn’t toxic. What happened there was, but this purchase will put an end to Vick’s sadistic legacy there and bring hope to abused and chained dogs.

To be fair to their supporters, they’re putting it to a vote. Beginning on February 4, DDB has 45 days to raise to raise at least $600,000 to purchase the property. Their ultimate goal is to raise $999,999 for the property itself, and to finish fencing and start their new facility. If they don’t purchase Bad Newz Kennels, they’ll be buying something elsewhere to build their new center.

As of today, they’ve raised $51,000, with 96 percent of their voters going with a yes to transforming Bad Newz Kennels into Good Newz Rehab Center.

Susan, are you serious? "The Shining" was a science fiction HORROR story, created in the mind of Stephen King. It was pure fiction. Of course, dogs can smell far better than humans (about 6 times better,and cats even more) and yes, they can smell blood. After all these years, the chances of even blood being around to smell is remote, not to mention that there is no "smell" of torture and fear. Dogs pick up on those as emotions, and they're long gone from that site.

What better use for the property than to BUILD proper facilities to house former abused and neglected dogs? It would give those dogs a place to be, and I can't think of a MORE appropriate site. It would be kind of like the "eternal flame" for J.F.K. or some kind of memorial at the site of the WTC twin towers. What would you suggest, an animal cemetary?

There were hundreds of dogs tortured and killed slowly on that property!!!!! Haven't any of you seen the Stephen King movie
"The Shining"????????? Well, unfortunately, buildings and property - - land hold the very negative like that for hundreds of years!!!!! It is no joke!!!!! That property and those buildings are soaked with the blood of hundreds of dogs in the past!!!!
You cannot remove that, and the dogs taken there to rehab from abuse and hurt, and pain, will be so freaked out and scare half to death from the irremovable evil and bad vibes, that they won't be able to heal!!!!!!! Dogs have some 240,000,000 more smelling receptors in their noses than WE do, and you think they won't smell the fear, and agony, and horror, and gore, and death??????? Really????? SERIOUSLY??????????? OF COURSE THEY WILL!!!!!!!!
THIS MUST NOT BE DONE THERE!!!!!! EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The investor should donate the property to the DDB and let them turn it into a safe place. That would be the begining of a new life for the property and the dogs that were harmed there. Vick should spend the rest of his life behind bars. All his money should be given to the ones (the dogs) who helped him make it in the first place.

Anne R., did you at least read the article? If you had, you'd have noticed that Michael Vick does NOT own the property, so he can't "donate" it. I don't know who owns it right now, maybe the courts that confiscated it when Vick was arrested. Why should Vick buy it and then donate it? DDB has considered buying it, so apparently, they have the funds.

As for Vick's speaking out against cruelty to dogs, I do believe he's done just that. Whether he's sincere or not remains to be seen. I'm not convinced, but I'm just amazed at how often people post that he NEEDS to do "this" or should do "THAT", when that is exactly what has been done already.

I can't think of a better "memorial" to fighting the viscious dog-fighting "industry" than to turn this property into a rescue sanctuary for the very animals that used to be so abused right there.

YES, and Michael Vick should DONATE the property to a pit bull rescue shelter/rehabilitation with part of the property for injured pit bulls to have a sanctuary. If Vick doesnt own this property, then he should buy it pack with NFL Eagle salary to show he is really remorseful and willing to change his life around to help pits get a home that they deserve while promoting adoption. They deserve the second chance that he got so he should make public announcements if he is really sincere.